Strong Willed
by elvenmaid
Summary: Eomer helps a maiden after she is attacked by orcs, not realising her full identity.Please R&R. My FIRST fic! Rated for violence, a little language and romantic content
1. Chapter 1

"My Lord Eomer!"

'Ugh, did these men never stop!' thought the tall and well built man whose name was being called as he dismounted from his steed, watching the man run towards him. The man could only want one thing: Eomer to meet with his daughter in the hopes of falling in love and marrying her.

"My Lord, will you take refreshment in my hall, and perhaps, meet my daughter? You may find her interesting…"

Eomer sighed inwardly, knowing his thoughts had again, been correct.

"Of course, my men are weary from travel, and I never miss a chance to meet a lovely young woman. We will gladly accept your hospitality ….?"

"Yanulf my lord."

"And your daughter?"

"Falinwe my lord."

xxxxxx

Falinwe rode with wild abandon, as if she could go fast enough to fly. She wished she could fly, then she could at least get away from her father's constant attempts to marry her off to any passing lord. As soon as she had seen the eored coming near their hall she had saddled Ganf, their stallion, and ridden away as fast as she could. Hopefully the warriors and their lord would be gone by the time she got back, and she would be spared the embarrassment of her father fawning over the lord and trying to sell her off. She slowed Ganf, saving his legs for the ride home knowing he wasn't getting any younger.

"Come on old boy, just a little farther, then we won't have to deal with father's foolishness."

Ganf nickered at her, as if saying she was being foolish and strong-willed, which she was, but she just laughed and said "If you don't want any oats when we get back, keep that up Ganf."

The horse stopped snorting immediately, bringing a peal of laughter to Falinwe's lips. Her laughter however, was short-lived as an arrow whizzed past her head.

xxxxxx

Yanulf was trying his best to be a good host, keeping the ale and food flowing freely. Eomer decided the man wasn't that bad after all. At least the man's daughter had been no-where to be seen when Eomer and his men rode into the courtyard of her father's hall. Come to think of it, she hadn't been seen at all. Eomer leaned over to speak with Gunlan, his second in command, who happened to have sight like an elf, and asked, "Gunlan, have you seen the man's daughter at all since we got here?"

"My lord, I saw a woman riding very quickly and surprisingly well, away from this hall as we rode up to it. Perhaps that was she."

This Falinwe, it seemed, had as little tolerance for her father's schemes as Eomer did. Surely though, she should have been back home by now, it was full night, and her father's hall was situated in one of the most orc ravaged parts of the Westfold, which was why Eomer and his eored were here. Perhaps he had better talk to her father and send someone out looking for her, even if she wasn't his responsibility.

"Yanulf, your daughter has not yet put in an appearance, is she unwell?"

Yanulf was quite drunk by now and yelled back "She's probably gotten lost my Lord. She rides out whenever I invite a nice man to meet her. I swear that girl is the most difficult, strong-willed, stubborn….."

And on it went. Eomer gathered a couple of his men and their horses and rode out into the night seeking a strong-willed young maiden named Falinwe. He just hoped he found her alive. He hated bringing bodies back for parents to bury. And she just might be worth meeting...


	2. Chapter 2

Strong Willed Chapter 2

Several more arrows followed the first, all missing her by inches, save one. It struck Falinwe in the shoulder, crashing into the bone there, which stopped it going any further. She cried out in pain. Thankfully the wounded shoulder was her left and not her right, or she would have been useless against the orcs she saw now coming towards her. Ganf whinnied as if to tell her he would protect her, but she drew the long hunting knife she always carried anyway. She broke the shaft of the arrow off half way down so it would not hinder her movements, breaking into a sweat as the pain hit her in waves, nearly knocking her senseless. Falinwe steadied herself, it would not do to faint now with orcs rushing at her! She held tight to Ganf as he reared, bringing his sharp front hooves down onto the head of an orc with a resounding crack. She parried a thrust from an orc below her, and then cut him across the back of the neck and back, black blood spraying forth as he crashed to the ground. Another came and another, until Falinwe was lost to the rhythm of slaying these creatures before they could do the same to her. Finally, there were no more left to kill. At some point she had fallen off of Ganf, bruising herself painfully, and now those hurts, and the arrow in her shoulder, started to throb painfully reminding her she was far from her father's hall and it was near dark. She might not get home. Falinwe mounted Ganf, a task he made easier by kneeling and allowing her to climb up onto his back before standing again and bearing her away homewards.

xxxxxx

They had been searching for hours. Eomer sighed. It seemed he was going to have to bring the girl's body back to Yanulf, if only he could find her!

"Gunlan! Do you see _anything_?"

"My Lord, no, only a darker blackness against the night, over there." Gunlan said, pointing in the direction he meant.

Eomer saw it too. As they approached it became apparent it was a horse lying on the ground, using its broad back to shelter something against the wind that had sprung up.

Eomer ran towards it now, daring to hope, surely the horse wouldn't shelter the girl if she was already dead? The horse stood up as he came near, and whinnied at him, a threat?

"Whoa there old fellow, I'm not going to hurt her." Eomer reassured the stallion, in a low calming voice. The horse moved towards him, whuffling in his hand, looking for oats no doubt.

"Good boy. Gunlan, see to this fellow will you?"

"Of course, my lord."

Eomer moved to the girl's side. In the faint moonlight he could see the darkness of blood on her shoulder, and the end of an arrow poking out of it. He also saw her gown was sprayed with orc blood. How did that get there? Then he remembered the horse's greeting and decided the stallion must have defended her before bearing her home.

As he leant over Falinwe, he noticed she was quite beautiful, her night-dark hair, a rarity in Rohan, spread around her shoulders and her face pale in the moonlight had full lips, a straight nose and what would be large, wide eyes framed by long, dark lashes when they were open. Yes, beautiful.

xxxxxx

She awoke. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire. Then she remembered. The orc attack, riding home on Ganf, and falling off when she could no longer endure the pain in her shoulder. Damn! She should have started back home sooner, then she would not be lying here with her shoulder bandaged and her entire body smarting from the bruises she'd received. Father must be very angry. Oh, why couldn't she just put up with his foolishness and play at being a good daughter?

Knocking came from her door. "Enter." Falinwe called, figuring it must be her father coming to scold her. It wasn't however. A man she didn't recognize entered and stood near the door, an almost embarrassed expression on his face at having caught her lying in bed. She had a wound! Where else would she be!

"May I help you?" She said, hoping to call his attention back from the fact that she was quite clearly naked under the coverings, as could be seen from the fact that quite a bit of shoulder was poking out from underneath the furs.

"Oh, I wanted to see how you were. I'm the one who found you."

She stared at him, knowing now that her father had sent the leader of the eored to find his wayward daughter. He wasn't too bad looking either she decided as she eyed him. He was fair, nearly everyone in Rohan was fair though so that was nothing different, his hair glowing golden in the candlelight. He had rather full lips under his close shaven beard, and his eyes were deep and mysterious under his brows. A warrior's body filled out the package of an altogether handsome man. A handsome man who had rescued her from death. Damn! Speak girl!

"Then I must thank you my lord, for surely I would have died had you not."

"You are welcome my lady. How is the shoulder?"

"To be honest my lord, it feels as though it would have been better to chop it off!"

He laughed, a rich throaty sound.

"That means it is healing, my lady."

"Please, my lord, my name is Falinwe."

"Eomer."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N I know another short chapter. But that was where I wanted to cut it off so sorry!**

**I keep on forgetting to do the disclaimer so here goes: I do not own Eomer (I wish I did though), Eowyn, or any other of the usual characters. Falinwe, Gunlan, Brandan, Yanulf and Ganf ARE mine, and probably others later on.**

**The story starts just before the attack on Theodred at the Fords of the Isen, and carries on through the War of the Ring. Please don't kill me if I get some things wrong in events, this is MY story, and Ishall bend it to my will. MWAHAHAHAHA! **

**Please ignore that last bit lol.**

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Eomer! Falinwe thought later. The Third Marshal of the Mark! No wonder her father had wanted her to meet him

She remembered his smile as he had spoken to her of trivial things, his laugh, deep and booming as she had responded to his comments with razor sharp wit.

His men had found the slain orcs not long after they had found her, and he asked about the ones who had clearly fallen to a blade, her blade. He wanted to know where she had learnt to defend herself.

She had shied away from the question as she had been taught, and not long after he had changed the subject to her horse, Ganf.

She told him of the horse's valor, and of his unique personality, Eomer had responded by telling her of his own horse, Firefoot, and of how he too, had a distinct personality.

They had laughed so much, and liked so many of the same things, it was like talking to an old friend.

Falinwe's mind shied away from _that_ thought.

He had been so solicitous of her wound and had asked her several times how it was feeling, she eventually told him to quit being a nursemaid and that she would be fine, it was merely annoying her.

xxxxxx

What Eomer hadn't known when Falinwe complained of her shoulder, was that it was the burning that ailed her, and not the itching that accompanied a healing wound.

The next day Falinwe could not be roused from her sleep, and Brandan, the healer among Eomer's company, began to worry that the arrow had been poisoned. Sending for the town's healer, he discovered the only healer in the vicinity was lying in the bed before him!

"My lord Eomer. She is failing fast, and she is the healer for this place. I cannot save her alone." Brandon said as Eomer entered the room.

"Will she make it to Edoras?" Eomer asked, feeling somewhat angry about something, _anything. _What was he if he couldn't even save one girl?

"My lord, if we make haste she will make it there. You intend for your sister to tend her?"

"Then make haste Brandan. And yes, if anyone can help, it's Eowyn."

"My lord. We have received word that Lord Theodred has been overrun at the fords. We must make haste and help them." Gunlan burst into the room.

Eomer growled low in his throat. Too many things were happening, too fast. He wanted to help Falinwe, but he had to help Theodred, his cousin.

"Very well Gunlan. Brandan, take Falinwe to Edoras and my sister. Gunlan, marshal the men, we ride to the Fords to help my cousin." Eomer commanded in a crisp tone that brooked no argument from either man.

As Gunlan and Brandon left to their chores, Eomer bent over Falinwe.

"Falinwe. Can you hear me? I have to lave you in Brandon's care. He will take you to Edoras and to my sister, Eowyn. She will care for you and you _will_ heal. She's so stubborn she'll _make_ you do it. Falinwe?"

The pale face before him stirred a little, but she did not wake. Eomer sighed. He didn't know how he'd become so attached to her in such a short time, but he had.

She had a quiet strength he'd come to admire already. He'd listened to stories from the townsfolk of the area as they worried about her. What he'd heard had reminded him greatly of Eowyn.

He hoped that the two of them wouldn't clash too greatly before he returned to Edoras.

Reaching out, he put his hand on her forehead and found it was cold and clammy, not a good sign. He hoped she made it to Edoras.

xxxxxx

She was burning inside, and she couldn't make her limbs move. Her shoulder was the only place that didn't burn, no it was freezing cold. She knew in the back of her mind that the arrow must have been poisoned. Just her luck, she finally meets a man she might be able to accept and now she was going to die.

The man who had been sent to tend her was efficient, but he didn't know poisons. Her hearing seemed to be working and she'd heard him tell Eomer she was the only one that could help her! Well that was terrific.

She so wanted to open her eyes and see what was going on. She listened to the conversation between Eomer and his second in command, Gunlan.

No, it couldn't be, Lord Theodred, overrun!

She heard the authority in Eomer's voice as he ordered her sent to Edoras for healing and as he told Gunlan to muster the men. A true leader, he knew exactly what needed to be done.

She wasn't expecting to feel his hand on her forehead, a warm, calloused hand that was somehow tender as he felt her skin.

She also wasn't expecting the words that came next and the tone they were said in. It was as though he were speaking to a loved one, not the injured daughter of a minor noble.

She tried to open her eyes again, to show him she understood, but failed again.

As Eomer strode from the room, he didn't see the single glistening tear slide down her cheek.


	4. Authors note

Hi all.

I'm so sorry but this story is gonna have to go on extended hiatus. cringes as ppl throw stuff. My stinky landlord decided he wants to sell my house so I now have a month to find somewhere to live. Unfortunately this takes precedence over my fanfic. Thanks for understanding and not throwing too much.


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